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Cupriavidus metallidurans is a non-spore-forming, Gram-negative bacterium which is adapted to survive several forms of heavy metal stress.[3][4][5]
| Cupriavidus metallidurans | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | |
| Family: | |
| Genus: | |
| Binomial name | |
| Cupriavidus metallidurans (Goris et al. 2001) Vandamme and Coenye 2004 | |
| Type strain | |
| ATCC 43123, aka CH34 | |
| Synonyms | |
(Not distinguished from Ralstonia eutropha until 2001.)[2] | |
Cupriavidus metallidurans is a bacterial species that belongs to the same family as Ralstonia solanacearum, a plant pathogen.[6]
This species is of ecological and industrial importance, as its relatives dominate mesophilic environments contaminated with heavy metals.[2][7] C. metallidurans is used in the industrial sector for both heavy metal remediation and sensing.[4]
This aerobic chemolithoautotroph is capable of growing in a mineral salts environment with H2, O2, and CO2 without an organic carbon source.[8] Its energy-providing subsystem is composed of only the hydrogenase, the respiratory chain, and the F1F0-ATPase, which remain separate from the anabolic subsystems.
C. metallidurans can also degrade xenobiotics in conditions with high levels of heavy metals.[9]
Strain CH34 has adapted to these harsh conditions through multiple heavy-metal resistance systems, encoded by the two indigenous megaplasmids, pMOL28 and pMOL30, on its chromosome(s).[3][4][10]
C. metallidurans plays a vital role, together with Delftia acidovorans, in the formation of gold nuggets. It precipitates metallic gold from a solution of gold(III) chloride, a compound highly toxic to most other microorganisms.[11][12][13]
A case of a 74 year old man infected with Cupriavidus metallidurans has been documented,[14] possibly raising concerns about the safety of using the bacteria for industrial purposes.
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